Is Chinese Democracy worth the hype?

 

Axl Rose lead singer of Guns N' Roses

 

 

By BRITTANY WALDER

Staff Writer

 

After 14 years, numerous lineup changes, does Guns N’ Roses’ sixth studio album Chinese Democracy live up to nearly two decades of anticipation?

When Guns N’ Roses came roaring onto the scene in the late 1980s, they were a raw, militant force in the industry, representing rock in its crudest form. 

Between 1987 and 2008, Guns N’ Roses saw a complete overhaul.  One of the last remaining members from the group’s golden age, Slash, was fired in 1996.

The album finally hit stores on November 23, 2008 after a purported $13 million in the making. Sales have been remarkably low, but critics have been generally positive.

“A few songs” do hold a genuine appeal, but when it comes down to it, Chinese Democracy sounds so eerily familiar and remarkably bland.  The album is a montage of whiny industrial rock, the sole force on the album resting in the irony of the title track.  The lyrics ring with the reverberations of a melodrama that has become a staple in modern music, and which, not surprisingly has long since lost its appeal.  Rose attempts to perform with the same rowdy angst that  is evident he no longer feels.

The effects are dismal, and when compared with the band’s heyday and the ridiculously long wait for the album’s release, is also really sad.

These faults might have been forgivable if Democracy was released even 10 years ago, thrown together amidst the destruction of the original band, when Rose opted to swap every iconic member for some less celebrated musician who would succeed only in stripping Guns N’ Roses’ style down to the bare essentials—music, riffs, discontent, and generic rock.

Nearly two decades of work should have theoretically produced something beyond mediocre.  Axl Rose’s vocals are mellow when compared to his performance  on earlier compositions.  He sounds like someone who is desperately trying to have fun doing something that no longer gives him a sense of satisfaction.

Overall, Guns N’ Roses doesn’t have the magnetism to pull in new listeners with Democracy.  If anything, it will, however, strike a nostalgic chord with longtime fans.  It is unlikely that like its predecessor, Chinese Democracy will be hailed for years to come.

The Bottom Line: 2 out of 5

Third Friday is Millville’s premiere event

By AARON RILEY

Staff Writer

    

Live music at the Vintage Rose Tea Room

 

 

 

Jim Penland works on his painting

 

The early 21st Century has seen the development of the formerly desolate High St. in Millville, N.J. into a booming arts district. The terrace of communal markets and galleries officially known as Glasstown was designated a Main Street Community in 2004 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The title is fitting, especially given the historicity of the downtown area. The ornamentation of the stores in the area is eclectic, including such styles as Victorian, Second Empire, Italianate, and Gothic Revival. In 1908 William Wrifford, best known as the architect of the Westmont Theatre, designed the vaudevillian Levoy Theatre on High Street. High Street’s status as a polestar of history and culture is a certainty. 

Nevertheless, onward into the 90’s the downtown area had been economically destitute with no investment into its maintenance or development. “Millville’s downtown had only a 50 percent storefront occupancy rate at the time,” according to an article by Millville Mayor James F. Quinn. That was until the city legislated an arts district stretching a 12-square-block area. “The revitalization of downtown Millville found its catalyst in the summer of 1999. After a great deal of research, surveys and target group interviews, it was determined that the “arts” would be that catalyst. Currently, storefront occupancy levels are over 90 percent with a total of 147 businesses/employment entities. Since 2000, 123 new businesses have opened. The net increase is 89 new businesses in Millville’s downtown. Market rate property values have nearly tripled on small to mid-size buildings, and doubled on large buildings,” stated Marianne Lods, Executive Director of Millville Development Corporation, as compiled by the New Jersey State League of Municipalities.

Today, Third Friday is a pivotal feature of the Glasstown Arts District. On the third Friday of every month, the stores and galleries are open late, work from local up-and-coming artists is exhibited and restaurants feature live music. Just about every store offers something unique on Third Friday. 

The Vintage Rose Tea Room, located on 132 N. High Street, is open until 9:00 p.m. on Third Friday. Dessert and tea is offered without reservation, and the evening tea w/food is offered with reservation only. Meanwhile, a different classical musician is invited each month to play soothing, nocturnal music to accompany the meals. Third Fridays at Bogart’s Books & Coffee Bar, located on 210 N. High Street, are exceptionally busy. Crowds of people of all ages shop for books and gather to listen to festive live bands playing genres ranging from country to jazz to folk at literally the smallest venue imaginable. The surprising attendance count is explained by co-manager Jaime Leigh Boobar, “A lot of people come here because it’s fairly cheap reading instead of paying $10 to go to the movies. And here it’s not like a library. You can come in and you can talk, and there’s live music Friday and Saturday nights.” She continued, “There’s usually many different ages here. Older people come to read as do younger people; teens come here with their friends as a place to hang out.” Gail Chiovari, manager of the Vintage Rose Tea Room, mentioned, “It is nice business on Third Fridays, especially when the weather is warmer. On Third Fridays in the spring and summer we offer lemonade, iced tea and bubble tea.”Third Friday is not the only time to catch special events from Glasstown stores. The Vintage Rose Tea Room alone has around six special events coming up. “We have the monthly Read to Me tea for children ages 4-10, which includes a different themed storybook reading each month. The event is pre-paid, and is $15 including tax and gratuity. The children get sandwiches, scones, dessert and tea. April’s theme is the ‘Princess Tea’. On the second Wednesday of every month we have Tea Time Bingo. It lasts from 7 to 9 p.m. and is also pre-paid and costs $15. We offer unlimited tea, a full-plated dish dessert with three smaller dish desserts, and the winners of the game receive prizes. There is a Tea Seminar on March 14th from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The event is pre-paid and costs $38. Lecturer Ann Latrello from “Everything Tea” will talk about the history and origin of tea, will educate people on the different kinds of tea such as black, white, oolong and green, and will reveal tips on how to make the perfect tea. In either late May or early June will be the Titanic Tea. Local author May Kent will spotlight her historical fiction novel about the Titanic. Customers will get a 5-course meal and an evening tea. Periodically we have Murder Mystery Teas, where a theatrical group performs a mystery play in the tea room. It’s a great night out for couples,” divulges Chiovari.   

Furthermore, High Street stores are faring well despite the U.S. recession. “We are fortunate that there has been no decline. There’s been no negative effect from the recession, though the early part of the year is usually slower than the rest of the year, except for Valentine’s week. It gets better in the spring, as is true for most retail businesses,” elaborated the tea room’s Chiovari. Regarding the effects of the recession on Bogart’s Books, Boobar said, “The only thing that really hit us is online sales.”

Roaming High Street, whether  on Third Friday or a weekday afternoon is always satisfying for aficionados of art and culture. Jim Penland of the Artist Consortium, located on 127 N. High Street, and J.B. and M.E., located on 129 N. High Street, is an artist and an art enthusiast along with Jenny Klein of the Artists House. From the almost hallucinatory stories of being a trumpet player for the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus at the age of 15 to the airiness, Penland fills the role of the piquant bohemian perfectly. Artists like Penland can be found at shops such as the Amethyst Gallery, the Brush in Hand Gallery, the Full Spectrum, Green Boot Studio, Isabelle’s Studio at 135, La Bottega of Art and the Riverfront Renaissance Center. Surely, it is the characters who inhabit and own the shops in Glasstown that are as much a success story as the Glasstown community itself.

Dead Space is gruesome fun for gamers

Nasty creatures like this one are out to destroy you in the "kill or be killed" game Dead Space.

By PHIL SPIZZICA
Staff Writer 

Genre: Sci-fi, Survival/Horror 
Publisher: Electronic Arts
ESRB Rating: M (17+)

After an entire year of patiently awaiting the release of this game, it makes me proud to finally declare it an absolute triumph; it was well worth the wait. In one of gaming’s most hauntingly immersive and frightening atmospheres ever conceived, you must journey into the harrowing darkness in search of much needed answers, as well as any means of survival.

As the game opens, you are introduced to the USG Ishimura, which is an enormous deep-space mining vessel that essentially destroys planets in order to extract ore from the ruins. Unfortunately, the colossal starship is malfunctioning, and its communications, as expected, are offline. You play as protagonist Isaac Clark, an engineer sent as part of a small team to investigate, and within minutes of boarding the Ishimura, it becomes exceedingly apparent as to why no one was around to pick up the phone. I’m sure it wouldn’t be much of a stretch to imagine this, but Dead Space both easily and proudly earns its mature rating. This is a game brimming with extremely grisly violence, nerve-splintering tension, and some truly big scares; in short, it’s not for the faint of heart.

The aforementioned elements are all, of course, totally awesome. And they revolve around some highly polished and truly exciting gameplay. The combat, while ludicrously intense, is still meticulously refined and likely couldn’t have been executed much better. It’s also got an interesting twist; bullets are largely ineffective against your monstrous assailants. Instead, you must make use of one of several weapons, most of which are actually just mining tools, in order to systematically sever the limbs of your opponents until they can no longer move. This strategic dismemberment mechanic ensures precision is key, but it’s made simple enough by the excellent targeting and stellar control scheme. Need to dispatch an injured foe? Merely approach the desired enemy; Dead Space makes superior use of your right heel by enabling you to violently stomp an enemy into the ground, which is as brutally exaggerated as it is satisfying. The combat is wildly entertaining, and each weapon, as well as your suit, can be upgraded in a number of ways to cater to your play style. The game also features devices within Isaac’s suit that enable usage of powers such as stasis and telekinesis. These can be helpful during combat, but they are predominately used for puzzle solving, which is required of you fairly frequently throughout the game. Some of these puzzles are clever, and some are less interesting. But they all add to the experience. From a technical standpoint, the gameplay is highly impressive. Everything is very tight and very well made, and it’s easy to see that. 

The other most notable aspect of Dead Space is its presentation, which is a nightmarish amalgam of gorgeously grotesque visuals and vicious, unrelenting audio work. Everything from lighting effects to ambient sounds to music is executed perfectly for what this game strives to accomplish. The resulting atmosphere is utterly convincing, unnerving, and at times, terrifying. To be honest, the game as a whole is not as scary as I had originally anticipated. Be that as it may, I did literally scream aloud on more than one occasion, particularly during part of a certain sequence near the end that I will not discuss. These parts were fairly few and far between for someone such as myself. However, if you’re someone who is easily frightened, I can guarantee beyond any doubt that this game will make you jump out of your seat. Frequently.

As impressive as Dead Space is, it’s not totally without its faults. While the core gameplay always keeps things exciting, the actual objectives you are tasked with are rather mundane for the most part. Throughout much of the game, you’ll spend your time simply navigating from point A to point B in order to press a button or flip a switch. More variety in this department would have served the game well. Also, while the story is solid and actually kind of disturbing by the end, it is plagued by an equally solid amount of positively laughable dialogue. Many lines are downright painful. The decent actors are able to mitigate the bite of horrid dialogue to a degree, but a more powerful narrative with a much stronger script would have made the game almost flawless.

Nevertheless, Dead Space is unequivocally the most impressive internally-developed game that’s ever come out of EA, and I truly applaud them for it. So turn off the lights, turn up the volume, and prepare yourself; this is an absolute must play for survival/horror fans and the most noteworthy horror release since Resident Evil 4.

The Bottom Line:  9 out of 10

Look out, Twilight: Succubus Dreams is quirky, dark

By BRITTANY WALDER
Staff Writer 

Succubus Dreams, the third book in the Georgina Kincaid series by urban-fantasy writer Richelle Mead, is charming, witty, and just as intriguing as ever.  

“I always imagined [the struggle between Heaven and Hell] as being very corporate,” the author said in a conversation at Barnes & Noble on November 22nd.

For those unfamiliar with the series, Succubus Dreams manages to keep readers up-to-date rather nicely.  The story continues the tale of Georgina Kincaid, a slacker succubus who has a “day job” in a bookstore in modern day Seattle amid an ever-complicated life within the local corporate demonic hierarchy. 

Dreams seems noticeably darker than its two predecessors, but the characters will never fail to delight. Mead is a master at character development, and each has a distinct personality that, if nothing else, will leave readers craving for more. 

The subject matter can be a bit touchy for some at times, but the humor runs wild. Everything about the novel deepens the appeal of the characters in it, and the plot has so many twists and turns that the suspense never dampens.  The saga is rich in all breeds of mythology, and the time span of Georgina’s life alone fills the pages to the brim with historical references.  

The down-side for fans may just lie in the overall mood of the novel. The first two were typically upbeat and cheery, whereas in Dreams, one gets the feeling from the get-go that everything is beginning to unravel.  At times it can even be down-right depressing. However, the complications that arise pave the way for the next installment (sadly, not due until June 2009).

The novel also seems to suffer a tad from Macbeth syndrome; everything is laid out beautifully in the beginning, giving a lot of insight, a lot of background, and details galore, only to culminate in a quick showdown of which our unlucky hero is not even truly a part.  Unlike Shakespeare however, Mead’s intent in  rushing through the finale is clear; in a quick tumble, she completely overhauls Georgina’s life, which is brilliant in that the shock value of the ending will take a while to wane. It will also compel readers to begin stashing away the $15 for the next installment. 

Overall, Succubus Dreams is an engaging read. It’s quirky and the chemistry and design of the characters feels overwhelmingly real. Given the urban fantasy setting, Mead does an excellent job in presenting her world in a way that will make readers feel as if this could all be happening right down the street.  She also manages to strengthen the appeal of her books; there is never a moment when it feels as if she is dragging the reader through the same circumstances and emotions.  For being a third book, much of the action comes off as novel. It’s impressive, to say the least, and establishes Richelle Mead’s talent as a writer who is definitely worth following.

Other novels by Richelle Mead: Succubus Blues, Succubus on Top, and Storm Born.

Bay-Atlantic Symphony–lyric and epic? You decide!

Compiled by JAREL ROSS
Staff Writer

The Bay-Atlantic Symphony, formerly known as the Bridgeton Symphony, was organized in 1983 under  the  leadership of Russell Meyer in Bridgeton, New Jersey.  Ten years later at the Stockton Performing Arts Center at the Richard Stockton College in Pomona, New Jersey, the Bay-Atlantic Symphony was named “Orchestra in Residence.” In 1995, the symphony was searching for its new director, and found Jed Gaylin two years later, who helped advance the orchestra to its next level. 

According to The Baltimore Sun, Jed Gaylin’s conducting is “consistently impressive, with a propulsive that allowed the lyricism to linger.”

The cornerstone of  the Bay-Atlantic Symphony’s programming was the power of classical music, which strives through the community and  connects itself to the populations within the community.  In 1998, the name was finalized to Bay-Atlantic Symphony to reflect on its regionalization and artistic growth.  In the following year, the symphony was known as “The Resident Symphony at the Guaracini Fine and Performing Arts Center,” located right here at Cumberland County College.  In 2003, the Bay-Atlantic Symphony was once again the “Orchestra in Residence,” this time  at the Cape May Music Arts Festival.  The symphony is also an arts ambassador for South Jersey for their active membership in groups such as American Symphony Orchestra League, South Jersey Cultural Alliance, and many other community-based groups. 

The Bay-Atlantic Symphony has been on the National Public Radio on the segment “Weekend 2004 Edition,” drawing in 4 million listeners throughout the United States and Europe.  In addition, the orchestra has been performing with renowned artists such as Hilary Hahn, and the Eroica Trio, thus receiving special honors from their audiences.

This year, Cumberland County College invites you to come see the Bay-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra perform at the Guaracini Performing Arts Center on Saturday November 1^st at 8:00 pm, including a pre-show chat with conductor Jed Gaylin at 7:00 pm.  This concert will be opening the New Jersey premier of “Chasing Light” composed by Joseph Schwantner, a renowned American composer.  In addition, the concert will be focusing on the different facets of Romanticism, an era of intellectualism and artistic movement in the late 18^th century.

Also, young Russian cellist Christophor Miroshnikov’s lyricism and poetry will be performed in the Schumann’s Cello Concerto, which was composed by Robert Schumann in two-week period (October 10^th, 1850 to October 24^th, 1850). The concerto also included a solo cello, two oboes, two flutes, two bassoons, two horns, two trumpets, a timpani (kettle drum), and strings, which lasted for 25 minutes.  Finally, the concert ends with a bang with the orchestra playing Symphony No. 5 by Tchaikovsky.  Tickets at the box office are $30 for adults ages 19-54, $26 for seniors 55 & older, $15 for ages 12-18, and $8 for 12 & under.  For college students, it is $5 a ticket, with a maximum purchase of two tickets per student. (Please have your CCC ID ready at the time of purchase).

The Hourglass Interview

By AARON RILEY
Staff Writer

AR: What compelled you to write your own musical?

WJ: I’ve always been a close friend with a very capable musician named Al Schulz. In college he was a pre-med major, largely because his family was very practical and didn’t see [a viable career] in music, but he certainly could have [succeeded]. Our families were friends, so as our kids were growing up together we’d meet at his house. He always seemed to have a new type of piano that he composed songs on. One day I thought it’d be a good idea to put words to those songs. We did that very gradually, starting far back in 1973. Some of the songs we wrote then are in this show. It didn’t become a play until much later. In the mid-80s I took a graduate course in playwriting at Villanova University, and I needed to submit a script to an original play by the end of the semester. The story of the play was conceived as a straight comedy, not a musical. We later got the idea to put the music [we composed earlier] into the show. Earlier this year a friend of [Schulz] from Lancaster had heard what we had been doing and said we could perform the play at Lancaster Catholic High School using their graduates who had been involved in theatre and were still in the area. So once we got word that we could actually do [The Hourglass Cafe] as a production, we really worked hard at completing it. It’s going to be done here [at Cumberland County College] as a staged reading, but in about a year from now, it’s going to be done as a production in Lancaster.

AR: What did you have to do to bring the script to the production stage?

WJ: In late December of last year between semesters, I gave Mrs. Bradshaw the completed script along with a CD of the music and asked her for some input. She told me she liked the music and thought the script was clever. Then we learned that the proposed production in Lancaster had been postponed almost indefinitely. My friend [Al Schulz] asked if it could be done somewhere in Vineland. I told him I’d look around and keep my ears opened. About the middle of the spring 2008 semester, Mrs. Bradshaw approached me with the prospect of directing my own play this coming school year. I told her I was interested but would need to pass the idea by my wife because it’s quite the commitment of time. She said it didn’t have to be a full production, instead suggesting an evening of one-act plays. She gave me a few options before indicating that I could do my musical as a staged reading. I jumped at the chance. That’s when it became a reality. She was able to secure a date. Before the school year began, it was already in place, and the dates for rehearsal and performance were set.

AR: Who are the characters and have they been cast?

WJ: We had some ideas for main characters when we were arranging for try-out night. One of the people we had in mind was a young lady and local teacher named Deena Parr. Just a handful of people came, most of which went on to fill the chorus. Deena however was the only one that had the capability as we saw it to take on a major role. So we needed to get on the phones; we needed to ask people to ask people and spread the word. By doing that we were able to get together all of the remaining members of the cast, and even the chorus.

The Hourglass Cafe was presented on October 28th, 2008.

Iron Man is rock solid for action fans

By PHIL SPIZZICA
Staff Writer

When I first saw the trailer for Iron Man, I was surprised to see Robert Downey, Jr. cast as Tony Stark. It pleased me, however, to see that such a talented and fitting actor had been chosen. As it turns out, he couldn’t have been more perfect for the role. Downey’s acting is absolutely stellar, and the rest of the cast deliver a respectable performance as well. I think it’s a great movie.

What makes Iron Man so effective is that it’s virtually devoid of those moments that make me say “that can’t happen,” which is rather impressive, considering the film’s premise. This is largely due to the sharp writing, convincing computer generated imagery, and meticulous attention to detail. These elements of the film are all extremely well done, and the story translates to the screen remarkably.

The plot is efficient, simple and includes the right amount of action, which is probably less than you’ve come to expect from this kind of film. Iron Man predominately favors character development and story progression over action, and I feel it’s highly effective. The dialogue is smart and often very funny. It’s unfortunate that the pacing skips a beat occasionally, and the action, while solid for the most part, can be substantially underwhelming at times. In particular, the final battle leaves a lot to be desired. This is probably the film’s greatest flaw. I wouldn’t let it discourage me, however.

“I thought it was a great movie, but I’m also a big comic book fan.” said CCC sophomore Terry Cronk, “It’s got a lot of action scenes and some comedic parts. I think Robert Downey, Jr. did a great job.”

Iron Man is an excellent movie. It’s got its hits and misses, but it’s a blast to watch through and through; any complaints I have are relatively minor when you consider the big picture. Even if you’re not normally into this sort of thing, it’s at least worthy of a rental. The sequel, Iron Man 2, is currently in production.

Iron Man is still receiving raving reviews, even after its DVD release.

British rock making a comeback in the States

By ASHLEY LONG
Staff Writer

   The group Stereophonics is keeping the Brit Rock scene alive and giving music lovers another chance to hear what they’ve got.

   The band plans to re-release their entire collection streaming from ‘97 to ‘07, along with new bonus material in the United States on November 7.

   The roots of Stereophonics stem from Wales with members Kelly Jones, Richard Jones, and Javier Weyler.  The band has had five consecutive albums reach #1 in the UK album charts.  They are seemingly underrated in the U.S., but with the re-release of their previous albums, the band hopes to affect the unaffected.

   The band’s sounds, often encompassing a hard rock edge combined with honest emotion, are frequently compared to that of Interpol, Silversun Pickups, and London’s own, Blur, whose alternative rock style became popular in the U.K. and U.S. in the early 90’s.

   While there are plenty of gems on Stereophonics’ album, Language, Sex, Violence, Other?, “Dakota” is considerably their biggest hit. Listening to it makes you want to imagine yourself traveling all over in a car with a mix tape.  “Maybe Tomorrow” takes it down a notch from their usual upbeat tempo, but they are still able to deliver a good hook.  The song was released in 2003 on You Gotta Go There to Come Back, and was featured in the movie Crash and the American television series Charmed.

    The re-releases include the band’s six albums: Word Gets Around, Performance and Cocktails, Just Enough Education to Perform, You Gotta Go There to Come Back, Language, Sex, Violence, Other?, and Pull the Pin. They also plan on releasing a greatest hits album this winter, entitled A Decade in the Sun: The Best of Stereophonics.

    Stereophonics provide tunes for people who are just trying to take the edge off or simply mellow out.  It’s safe to say that they’re a healthy addiction. For more information about the band, visit their website at www.stereophonics.com or give them a listen at their Myspace: www.myspace.com/stereophonics.

Stereophonics brings back to America a taste of the
British rock that caught Beatles fans by storm years ago.